Rediscovering a Pioneering Artist: A Belgian Talent Shines Once More

A Amid the unsettled years post World War I, while creative exploration flourished, commentators were intrigued by the ambiguously titled avant-garde Tour Donas. “We observe a kind of allure in Tour Donas’s work unfamiliar in seeing in painters of his school,” noted a critic, “an element of modest hesitation suggesting a feminine sensitivity.” These pieces, actually, created by Marthe Donas, that is the Belgian artist, an Antwerp native who had taken a gender-neutral name to succeed in the male-dominated art world.

Under this pseudonym, the artist had a meteoric rise, prior to fading from view. Today, Antwerp showcases a major exhibition establishing her among modernist greats, with Alexander Archipenko and prominent figures. The exhibition, which opens on Saturday in Antwerp’s premier art museum, showcases over fifty pieces, from cubist paintings in warm colours, glimmering fabric motifs, to flatter abstract pieces.

“A sense of abstraction goes hand in hand with refinement,” an expert stated. We see a true quest for novelty, for advancement … alongside that is a powerful yearning, a craving for classical beauty.”

Unlike provocative modernists, La Section d’Or eschewed rebellion, as per the curator. Among the highlights on display is the work The Dance, which Donas painted during 1918-1919. It was thought vanished, until found in Japan ahead of the Antwerp display.

Early Life and Challenges

She entered life in 1885 into an affluent French-speaking family in her birthplace. A forebear practiced realism, however, her father did not support his daughter following this path; he withdrew her from art school in 1902 very quickly.

A decade later, Donas enrolled again, set on becoming a painter, post-accident. She tumbled from a rooftop while trying to catch a glimpse of the king, during a royal visit, smashing through a glass ceiling on her way down. Her training ceased due to wartime events. While her family fled across the border, Marthe went to Dublin, where she enrolled in art school and learned how to make glass art. Following time in Paris, which was pivotal for her art, depleting her resources, she moved to the Riviera as an art tutor to a rich lady.

Artistic Breakthrough and Collaboration

She encountered Archipenko during 1917 in Nice. The pair soon clicked. He referred to her as “the finest learner” and started championing her art. Donas created her shaped paintings, pieces that rejected standard rectangular frames opting for irregular outlines accentuating their cubist distortions.

While modern shaped paintings are often attributed to another European creator, curators argue Donas was the first in that era to pioneer this innovative approach.

But her contribution was overlooked. Then, cubism and abstract art were dominated by men; too intellectual, too rational, for women.

Appreciation and Influence

Now, after decades, Donas is slowly gaining recognition. The museum, freshly restored, seeks to feature female artists within its holdings. Earlier, a single work was held of Donas’s works, which was not always on display.

This event aligns with a rising effort to resurrect long-neglected female masters, such as pioneers from the past. Similar shows have unveiled from obscurity pieces from more women across different styles.

An expert has spent two decades working to promote the artist, appreciating “the elegance, the colours, the originality and the beauty” in her art. A co-curator for the show denounces the patronizing attitude from her era. She was not “an inexperienced student” when she met Archipenko, rather a mature creator with her own voice.

Later Years and Lasting Influence

The partnership between Donas and Archipenko had ended by mid-1921. After marrying, she moved to rural Belgium; Archipenko emigrated to America. Subsequently, she disappeared from public view for a long period from the late 1920s, after she unexpectedly became a mother at age 45. Decades later, she minimized their relationship, claiming she had only spent “a few months working in his workshop”.

This exhibition uncovers a far deeper artistic energy. It ends with a pair of pieces: her work reflecting a piece by Archipenko she retained post-separation. The dynamic colors and forms in both pieces work together, although specialists emphasize “she forged her own path, she didn’t imitate”.

• Donas, Archipenko & La Section d’Or highlighting captivating art is on view until 11 January 2026.